Thai Shrimp Curry Over Lentils

Quick weeknight version of this meal brought to you by:

Trader Joe's ready-to-eat steamed lentils.  Working cooks, rejoice!

Amen.

I have something to tell you guys.


I'm on a diet.

Yes, you read that correctly.  A diet.  I hope you'll be supportive over the next few weeks (10 1/2, but who's counting).

Don't worry, you don't have to go on a diet, too.  I'll be sprinkling in some naughty recipes, too.  And probably a whole lot more life.  Just this week, I'll be making a homemade version of a favorite childhood Little Debbie snack cake, and a stellar cupcake creation based on a sandwich for a baby shower I'm hosting.  Can you guess?  Extra points if you can guess the theme these dishes tie to!

Being a food blogger and going on a diet is completely unnatural, let me tell you.  What do you think I do for inspiration?  Look at food.  And keeping this little ol' blog rolling?  Food, food, and more food.  Real food, though, not just pictures.

It's not all about diet, though (1200 calories/day!), it's about exercise, too (12 times/week!).  Believe me, that was not what I expected when I signed up for this 12-week bootcamp put on by Fusion.  And when I read the requirements upon our first meeting and weigh-in, I was overwhelmed.  Now, having just started week 2, I'm feeling good.  In control.  And not so overwhelmed.

I hope at the end of this journey I'll be happy enough with my progress that I'll feel up to sharing my results.

I'm eating 5 meals a day, 250 calories or less, with no more than 30g carbs and more than 10g protein each.  This dinner works with that!  And it is flavorful.

If you're not on a diet, not eating 5 times a day, and need a full meal at dinner, just eat a bigger portion.  This may technically be diet food for me, but it's anything but bland and unsatisfying. 

I hope there aren't any Thai people reading, because they probably won't like what I'm about to tell you.  I used regular 2% milk in place of coconut milk.  In the words of Bethenny Frankel, 'Use what you have!'.

Thai Shrimp Curry
Serves 2

• 1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, shaken to blend
• 2 T Thai curry paste (red or green)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 T ginger, minced
• 8 oz. frozen shrimp
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 T fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 c. chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1/3 c. thinly sliced fresh basil
• Juice of one lime
• 1 cup lentils, cooked as directed

1. Bring 1/4 cup coconut milk and curry paste to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. 
2. Add bell pepper, onion, and ginger; sauté 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in shrimp, remaining coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce. Cook until shrimp is cooked through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in remaining 3 ingredients and simmer 1 minute. Season with salt. 
5. Serve over hot lentils.